NVIDIA 9800GTX and GX2 Get Greenlight

[Rob Williams]

From our front-page news:

It seems like forever that we've been waiting to see a 9800GX2 launch, but it's now closer than ever. According to reports, the 9800GX2 and 9800GTX have gotten the greenlight and are on schedule for release this month. Reviews should be popping up around the web in the weeks to come.

Though there is no major architecture change over the 8-series, these new cards bump up their specs all around, and the GX2 should prove to be the ultimate dual-GPU-single-card solution, especially when compared to ATI's HD 3870 X2. Though, the HD 3870 X2 has won one part of the contest... looks. The GX2 is truly one of the ugliest card designs I've seen. Granted, the cooler serves a specific purpose, but still!

The 9800GX2 will be clocked at 600MHz/2000MHz, while the GTX has a nice boost at 675MHz/2200MHz. The latter is also tri-SLI ready, with dual bridges available.

<table align="center"><tbody><tr><td>

</td></tr></tbody></table>
NVIDIA's GeForce 9800GX2 is poised as the ultra high-end enthusiast graphics card. The new adapter takes a page from the GeForce 7950GX2 since it's actually composed of two G92 cores on a single board. Factories are instructed to set these core frequency at 600 MHz and memory frequencies at 2000 MHz.

Source: DailyTech
​

 

[sbrehm72255]

I'll take a single 9800GTX to go please...... Hold the mustard..........

 

[werty316]

It'll be good see how the 9800 GX2 fairs against DAAMIT's HD3870 X2.

I wonder if the overclocking potential of the 9800GTX is quite true based on all the buzz.

 

[sbrehm72255]

Depending on the memory IC's that they use on the cards, I'm sure that they'll OC very well........

Depending on cooling, most all Nvidia cards clock rather well.

 

[Rob Williams]

I have a feeling the GX2 will kick the HD 3870 X2's ass, but I could be proven wrong. I do know that I like the look of the X2 a lot more. The GX2 looks like a coffin.

 

[NicePants42]

I got a little confused here - is the GX2 using separate PCBs like the 7950GX2, or a single PCB like the 3870x2? The DT article seems to indicate the latter, whereas I was under the impression that the former was the case.

 

[Rob Williams]

Given how the DVI ports are laid out, I am assuming it's still the former. Naked shots of the card in the past have always shown two PCBs, so I'm not sure if that's changed since then (or if it's possible to change that so quick).

 

[sbrehm72255]

It's just like the old 7950GX2, 2 PCB's clam shelled together along with limited clock setting from Nvidia, sort of like 2 GTS (G92 512) under clocked and stuck together to form one card.

Seeing as one GT will beat a 3870, and the GTS beats the GT, it stands to reason that the GX2 should trash the X2, but alot of that depends on the drivers.........

 

[b1lk1]

Considering the cost, the GX2 BETTER beat the 3870X2. Far too overpriced for such a stop gap card. Even the GTX is a joke on paper.

 

[b1lk1]

Given how the DVI ports are laid out, I am assuming it's still the former. Naked shots of the card in the past have always shown two PCBs, so I'm not sure if that's changed since then (or if it's possible to change that so quick).

The GX2 is 2 PCB's facing each other. That is how they managed to keep it using only 2 slots.

 

[Rob Williams]

Foolish design nonetheless. If ATI could manage to put two GPUs on a single PCB, why couldn't NVIDIA? Is there a technical benefit two having two separate PCBs? I can't think of any...

 

[Kougar]

Foolish design nonetheless. If ATI could manage to put two GPUs on a single PCB, why couldn't NVIDIA? Is there a technical benefit two having two separate PCBs? I can't think of any...

Reason I heard was to much heat... And G92 is definitely hotter than RV670. Only other reason I could think of is that single-PCB dual-GPU designs tend to be costlier to build due to PCB complexity, but I would bet the heat was the real reason. G92 GTS cores still don't run cool with those clocks way up there above the G80 versions.

I don't tend to jump on the rumor bandwagon much anymore, but my instincts tell me there is some credibility to those reports that the real "next-gen" card is planning to be released this summer/fall... would especially tick off any GX2 owners I'm sure.

 

[sbrehm72255]

These (G92 cards) are just a stop gap measure to hold Nvidia over for awhile (my opinion) as they really don't need anything all that drastic to keep ahead of AMD/ATi right now. Wehen and if AMD/ATi brings anything competitive to the market, I'm sure that Nvidia already has something to counter it.

 

[Rob Williams]

Hmm, the heat issue would be a good one... as in, it's plausible. I know my single 8800GTS' get warm, and the barbs on the ASUS EAH3870 X2 card here can reach 78&deg;C at full load, so I'm sure the NVIDIA cards would have en even rougher time.

These (G92 cards) are just a stop gap measure to hold Nvidia over for awhile (my opinion) as they really don't need anything all that drastic to keep ahead of AMD/ATi right now. Wehen and if AMD/ATi brings anything competitive to the market, I'm sure that Nvidia already has something to counter it.

As Metallica put it, "Sad But True".

 

[Kougar]

GX2 has the GTS core/shader count, but clocked at normal 8800GT speeds. So effectively it is a pair of underclocked 8800GTS cards in SLI...

Was looking at the latest round of leaked benches here: http://www.pconline.com.cn/diy/graphics/reviews/0803/1241871.html Honestly for the extra $100 above the 3870 X2, I'm not sure that it is worth it.

 

[Rob Williams]

That sites takes literally forever to load, so I'll take your word for it.

Sounds kind of depressing though. A card like that SHOULD be the most incredible thing to hit our desktops. Can it at least be used in SLI for Quad-GPU?

 

[Merlin]

That sites takes literally forever to load, so I'll take your word for it.

Sounds kind of depressing though. A card like that SHOULD be the most incredible thing to hit our desktops. Can it at least be used in SLI for Quad-GPU?

Man, I see what you mean......
Must be a limited server.

 

[Rob Williams]

You are addicted to checking out your internet speed, aren't you ;-)

And yeah, if your connection loads that slow, I don't feel so bad. Normally, Chinese sites load slow but fine... but that one was ridiculous.

 

[sbrehm72255]

If they are that bad, I'm not even going to try, I'd be sitting here for a half hour waiting for it to load...............

 

[Merlin]

It was too plain

So I dressed it up a bit